


hobbies gone wrong

by overplays



Category: Genei Ibun Roku #FE | Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-23 13:31:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11403429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/overplays/pseuds/overplays
Summary: they'd never found anything before. it shouldn't have been any different this time. or: the ghost hunting hobbyist au no one asked for.





	hobbies gone wrong

"Touma-kun... c-c-can't we go? I'm getting seally rared - I mean creally seared - I mean!!"

"This place is pretty creepy," Itsuki intervenes. Partly to take pity on Tsubasa, mostly because he's in agreement. Most of the places they had been to haven't had much effect on him; they'd been old and dilapidated, of course, buildings and houses standing on their last legs, but there's something... different about this place. It's too much. Too quiet, too cold, too still. There's no graffiti straining the walls, no signs of animals resting here. No signs of... _anything._

Tsubasa whimpers behind him, pressing her face into his back. He reaches a hand back, offering it to her, and voices no complaint when she grips it tight as a vice.

"Come on!" Touma's voice is loud as ever, but now it's making Itsuki flinch. It feels wrong to disturb the house like this. Touma laughs, trying to sound confident, but Itsuki can hear it waver and crack. "We might actually see something! That's worth sticking around a little longer, r-right?"

He sounds less like he's trying to convince them and more like he's looking to them to convince _him._

Tsubasa isn't having it. "No! It's dumb and we should leave, right now!"

Itsuki can hear the thickness in her voice, the threat of tears. If he's feeling wrong, it seems Tsubasa is feeling it even more acutely. He squeezes her hand, shoots Touma a reproving look.

"Fifteen more minutes, Tsubasa-chan!" Despite the earlier waver, Touma is rallying back, tone taking on a petulant whine to it. He's determined to stick around longer, to get something. Itsuki considers the situation, sighs silently to himself as Touma and Tsubasa argue.

"Keep Tsubasa company outside. I'll take the camera and look around a little more."

"Itsuki?!" "Itsuki-kun!!" The response is immediate, simultaneous, and undeniably a protest. Itsuki stands his ground.

"It'll be fifteen minutes. Tsubasa isn't going to want to stand alone outside, right?"

Tsubasa shuffles her feet, eyes averted and cheeks pinking in the gloom. "N... no."

"And we can't leave you in here alone, Touma. You'd probably fall through the floor or something," Itsuki finishes in a deadpan, grinning internally when Touma shouts in wordless indignation, turning his true protest into reflexive offense. The giggle that comes from behind Itsuki is worth it. Touma grumbles, but there's genuine concern on his face as he hands the camera over to Itsuki.

"Fifteen minutes. I'm gonna set a timer and everything. You don't come out by then, I'm calling the cops, even if it gets us in trouble. Got it?"

Itsuki can feel himself smiling, the first time he's felt steady since this weird feeling descended over the three of them. "I'll be there."

Touma nods, then he turns to take Tsubasa's hand and head for the front door. Tsubasa spares Itsuki one last worried glance before they disappear from sight.

\---

Of course, everything comes to a head in the basement.

Itsuki has left it for the end because he knows Touma will complain if he doesn't get footage from the basement, but, surprise, he's not too keen on spending a long time down here alone. Frankly, the only thing keeping his hands steady with the camera is the fact that nothing has actually happened so far. And after this he can head back up the stairs, go back to Touma and Tsubasa waiting outside for him -

_Who..._

Itsuki whips around, heart going from nervous patter to rabbit-quick in a second. Nothing. But the voice in his head had been far too clear to deny. Itsuki flips through the various camera filters - still nothing.

The room plunges into a bone-shaking chill around him.

_Who..._

The voice again. Itsuki whirls once more, but there's nothing. Nothing to his naked eye, nothing on the camera. Nothing but that voice again, echoing through his mind.

_Who disturbs me?_

Invisible hands pull Itsuki forward with undeniable force. Unprepared, he stumbles forward and falls, the camera hitting the concrete floor with a hard crack and spinning away. Those same hands force him back to his feet and forward on shaking, uncooperative legs. He tries to resist, tries to pull away, tries to dig his heels in and stand his ground, but it's no use. Whatever is dragging him forward refuses to be denied.

_Who are you?_

Itsuki's voice is hysterical as he shouts "Let me go!" in response. The unseen entity ignores him, continues pulling him further into the basement, further into the shadows. The camera's probably broken; if something happens here, no one will know the truth. Itsuki will be some unfortunate casualty of a stupid hobby. His captor takes no pity on him, droning on in the same monotone as if it hadn't heard a thing.

_It's been so long... I haven't seen anyone... in so long... Let me see you..._

It loops on his head on repeat, over and over, an energy-sapping drone as the unseen hands drag Itsuki around a pile of debris. Itsuki's on the verge of hyperventilation, but once he's around the corner his breathing stops entirely.

Because there's someone there. Standing there in what should be an empty basement. Itsuki can't make out their - _its_ \- face properly under the curtain of unruly hair, but the neon blue lights that serve for what Itsuki assumes are its eyes pierce him through, freezing him from the inside out. It's humanoid in shape but it's _wrong_ ; its arms are too long, its fingers are too skinny and sharp, its shoulders too broad compared to a waist too thin, its outfit poorly disguising the unnatural contours of its body. Shadows dance and writhe around it, and its eyes are fixated on Itsuki, taking in every aspect of him with intense fascination.

Itsuki wants to scream, but his throat it blocked off by his own terror.

 _... you._ The creature cocks its head at him. It twitches toward him, ignoring the frantic way he tries to backpedal away, all his efforts in vain because of the invisible wall at his back. _You... I want... all._ It lifts a hand. _Give me... everything. Give me... all of you. Give me all._

The creature reaches for him, repeating its last three words on repeat in his head, rising in volume and passion until it's screaming at him, its words rattling his brain. The last thing Itsuki sees are long claws and luminescent blue eyes before the world mercifully goes black.


End file.
